


Your Smile Is Sweeter Than (Hot) Chocolate

by bb_bambam



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Barista!Jinyoung, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, No Angst, Parent!Jaebum, kid!youngjae, seriously. youngjae pouts for like 0.2 seconds and that's the most angst there is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-21 12:42:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9549650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bb_bambam/pseuds/bb_bambam
Summary: Jaebum brings Youngjae to a coffee shop for some hot chocolate, and they end up getting Jinyoung instead.Basically, the JJP coffeeshop/kidfic mashup AU no one asked for.





	

“Appa, can we get hot chocolate?” Youngjae asks, swinging Jaebum’s hand as they walk. He’s in a cheerful mood, a wide smile across his face as he looks up at his father with pleading eyes.

Jaebum has a hard enough time saying no to his son on any given day, but when Youngjae is beaming up at him with that hopeful expression, any chance of him resisting is out the window. “Of course, Youngjae-yah, we can go right now.”

Youngjae grins delightedly up at Jaebum as he exclaims, “Thank you Appa! And then can I draw when I have my hot chocolate?”

“Hmm, let me think.” Jaebum pretends to consider it before proclaiming, “You’re in luck! I brought along some paper and pencils just for you!” He smiles indulgently at his son, leaning down to scoop him into his arms and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Come on, I think we’re near the coffee shop where Mark works. We can go there.”

Youngjae, if it’s possible, looks even happier than before at the prospect of not only getting hot chocolate and drawing, but seeing Mark too. Mark has been Jaebum’s best friend since high school and his main support system since Jaebum was left with Youngjae five years ago. It makes Jaebum cringe a little to think about how cliche the whole situation was: he slept with his then-girlfriend (he had been convinced it was love, that they were forever, back then), but they weren’t careful enough, and while she didn’t want to keep him, he couldn’t bring himself to give baby Youngjae up. Not that he regrets it; Youngjae is, beyond any shadow of doubt, the most precious thing in his life.

Still, the first year had been rough, especially because Jaebum had only been eighteen and needed to focus on his studies in addition to being a single parent. It’s gotten easier through the years, especially because Mark has been instrumental in helping Jaebum raise Youngjae, for which Jaebum is eternally grateful to his best friend.

Jaebum finds the coffee shop easily enough, since Mark has been pestering him to come visit ever since he started working there two months ago. He walks into the little shop, still holding Youngjae, and abruptly stops because there’s no one else inside except for the boy standing behind the counter, who is definitely _not_ Mark. He _is_ , however, incredibly attractive and seems to be beaming at Youngjae, the skin around his eyes crinkling as he smiles. Jaebum is suddenly itching to use the camera hanging around his neck to immortalize this boy’s beauty in a picture (or maybe a hundred).

“Hi!” the boy calls cheerfully. “How can I help you two today?”

Jaebum might have stood there staring a little longer if Youngjae hadn’t decided to poke at Jaebum’s cheek insistently and say, “Appa! We gotta order!”

He’s brought back to his senses with a jolt and smiles at Youngjae reassuringly before making his way over to the counter. “Do you want to order by yourself, Youngjae-yah?”

Being the friendly, talkative boy he is, Youngjae’s face lights up at the suggestion and he turns to the boy at the counter, smiling widely. “Hi! My name is Youngjae and I want hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows please! Appa says I can only have it sometimes but today I’m allowed! What’s your name? Do you like hot chocolate too?”

“Youngjae-yah,” Jaebum scolds lightly. “What did I say about asking too many questions?”

“Oh no, it’s fine!” the boy interrupts sunnily. He holds out his hand for Youngjae to shake, which Youngjae does with delight. “Nice to meet you, Youngjae! My name is Jinyoung, and I love hot chocolate! But your Appa is right, you should only have it sometimes, because if you have it too much, you might get a tummy ache, and those aren’t very fun, are they?”

Youngjae looks truly horrified at the idea of getting a stomachache and shakes his head solemnly. “No they aren’t. I promise I’ll only have hot chocolate when Appa says yes.” He tilts his head to the side contemplatively before becoming a little more bashful and informing Jinyoung with a shy smile, “You’re really pretty.” Jaebum has to silently agree with him, because Jinyoung is handsome for sure, but “pretty” describes him even better. “Can I call you Jinyoungie-hyungnim?”

“Thank you very much, you’re so sweet!” Jinyoung’s smile threatens to break off his face. “And of course you can.” He still addresses Youngjae as he speaks, but his eyes are on Jaebum now, who can’t make himself look away. “So, Youngjae, does your Appa want hot chocolate, too? Or maybe something else?”

Youngjae is about to answer when he’s distracted by the sudden appearance of Mark and someone else - a short, black-haired boy with a friendly smile. “Mark-hyungnim!” he cries instead, squirming in Jaebum’s arms until Jaebum puts him down and he can run to Mark.

“Youngjae-yah!” Mark exclaims, equally surprised and happy as he sweeps Youngjae into his arms and hugs him tightly. “What are you doing here?”

“Wait,” Jinyoung says slowly. “Mark-hyung, is this the ‘Jaebum’ you’re always talking about? I _thought_ the name Youngjae sounded familiar.”

Mark peers at Jinyoung and then spots Jaebum over the top of Youngjae’s head. “Jaebum! Why didn’t you tell me you were stopping by?”

“It was a spur-of-the-moment thing,” Jaebum tells him apologetically before smirking slightly. “Although I am flattered that apparently you’re ‘always talking’ about me to your coworkers.”

Mark shrugs it off with a sheepish grin. “I talk about my favorite little boy so often, his father is bound to be mentioned sometimes.” He pinches Youngjae’s cheek fondly, eliciting a giggle from the boy, before lowering him to the ground and letting him go back to his father. “So, anyway, introductions! Jaebum, I guess you and Jinyoung have already kind of met.” Jaebum glances at Jinyoung and sends him an awkward half-wave and a small smile, to which Jinyoung responds with a grin that could probably light up the entire room. “And this is Jackson,” Mark continues pointedly after several long moments of Jinyoung and Jaebum just smiling at each other.

“Nice to meet you,” Jackson says with a cheerful smile. “I’ve heard a lot about you from this one.” He nudges Mark with his shoulder playfully.

“Oh, so _you’re_ the Jackson that Mark never shuts up -” Jaebum is cut off by Mark suddenly collapsing into a loud coughing fit. Jackson, on the other hand, looks extremely pleased as he pats Mark on the back, and Jaebum has only seen them interact for a few minutes, but he already kind of wants to roll his eyes at the two of them.

Jinyoung, who’s been busy making Youngjae’s hot chocolate, meets Jaebum’s amused gaze and lets out a laugh. _They’ve been in denial forever,_ he mouths, his eyes twinkling. He walks out from behind the counter and kneels down to present Youngjae with a mug topped with entirely too much whipped cream. “One very special hot chocolate for a very special customer!”

Youngjae’s eyes shine as he takes the mug. “Thank you!” He looks up at Jinyoung expectantly. “Did you know that I like to draw? I’m gonna draw right now! Do you wanna draw with me?”

“Youngjae-yah, he has to work,” Jaebum starts, but Mark, who has miraculously recovered, interrupts.

“Jackson and I will take over, Jinyoungie, you’ve done a lot today,” he says reassuringly. “And there’s no one here, anyway. Have fun.”

Jinyoung smiles gratefully and turns back to Youngjae. “Of course! Lead the way!”

Youngjae grabs Jinyoung’s hand and leads him to a table, Jaebum trailing quietly behind after he pays for the drink. Ruffling his son’s hair fondly, Jaebum gives him the pencil and paper he’s started carrying around ever since Youngjae developed a fascination for drawing and leans back to observe the pair interact. He’s curious, because Youngjae has always been an extraordinarily friendly child, but Jaebum has never seen him take such a strong liking to someone so quickly. Somehow, Youngjae is already comfortable enough around Jinyoung to ask, with big eyes and a hopeful smile, “Can I please sit on your lap?”

And Jaebum knows that rationally, he should probably be wary that his son is so enamored with this relative stranger, but in all honesty, he can’t find a reason to be. First and foremost, Mark is clearly friends with Jinyoung, which makes Jaebum significantly less concerned, because he trusts Mark’s judgment above anyone else’s. There’s also the undeniable fact that Jinyoung is not only good at interacting with children, but also obviously enjoys it. He knows exactly what to say to make Youngjae laugh out loud in delight and helps him wipe the whipped cream off his nose and compliments his artistic abilities completely genuinely, all with a content smile on his face.

“So, hyung,” Jinyoung starts, holding Youngjae steady in his lap as he turns to talk to Jaebum. “Are you a professional photographer or is it just a hobby?”

“Huh? How did you know about that?” Jaebum is slightly taken aback. _How did he figure out that I’ve been thinking about taking pictures of him this whole time_? he thinks in a panic. The moment he thinks it, he mentally reprimands himself for being so ridiculous, because there’s obviously a rational explanation for the question. But Jinyoung doesn’t seem offended; in fact, he’s laughing, bringing his hand up to cover his mouth, and really, Jaebum wishes he wouldn’t, because he could honestly listen to the sound all day.

“Sorry,” Jinyoung gasps, trying to smother the last of his laughter as Youngjae looks up from his drawing, confused. He smiles down at Youngjae reassuringly. “Keep drawing, Youngjae-yah, it’s all fine.” The little boy smiles back toothily and goes back to drawing. Jinyoung looks back at Jaebum, his eyes still sparkling. “I didn’t mean to laugh at you. It’s just, you’re Mark-hyung’s best friend, and I _did_ say he talks about you all the time. And also, you’re, um, wearing a camera around your neck.” He gestures to the camera hanging around Jaebum’s neck, which Jaebum had conveniently forgotten about.

“Oh,” Jaebum says, smiling sheepishly. “I guess I’m just used to the first question being about Youngjae. I wasn’t really expecting you to ask about me. And I uh, kind of forgot I still had my camera with me.” He laughs in slight embarrassment.

Jinyoung laughs too. “Well, I’m glad I could remind you! And by the way, what you want to share about your private life is up to you. As sweet as he is -” he smiles down at the boy fondly and Jaebum can feel his heart melting - “Youngjae isn’t any of my business until you feel comfortable with sharing that story with me, _if_ you ever do. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to know more about _you_.”

Jaebum looks at him in awe. “That’s really considerate of you. And to answer your question, yes, I am a professional photographer. I got my degree a few months ago, but I’m still looking for a permanent job right now.” Jinyoung nods in understanding. “So are you still in university?”

Jinyoung’s eyes light up as he eagerly replies. It’s clear that he loves talking about this. “Yeah, I’m studying at the local university to get my teaching degree. I want to be an elementary school teacher.”

Considering how good Jinyoung is with Youngjae, Jaebum isn’t really surprised to hear that. “I think you’ll be really good at it,” he tells Jinyoung sincerely.

“Thank you!” Jinyoung looks incredibly pleased, and Jaebum silently congratulates himself on being the one to put that expression on Jinyoung’s face. “So, did you study here in the city or somewhere else?”

It’s easy from there for Jaebum to launch into an explanation of how he got a degree in photography at the same university that Jinyoung is at now, how it was difficult to keep up with his studies while also taking care of Youngjae, how he’s spent the past couple of months searching for a stable job to support them. That’s how they’re found half an hour later by two teenage boys: Jaebum and Jinyoung quietly conversing and learning more about each other, taking turns helping Youngjae with his artistic pursuits, and Mark and Jackson trying to pretend that they’re not flirting at the counter.

“Jinyoung-hyung, I didn’t know you had a kid!” the shorter boy calls, smirking.

Apparently, Jinyoung is familiar with the customers, because without even looking over, he sighs and replies, “Didn’t we ban you last week, Bambam?”

“Yeah, and then you checked the rules and realized that you don’t actually have the power to ban a paying customer if they’re not technically doing anything wrong,” Bambam retorts, lifting himself up and sitting down on the counter like he owns the place.

“You’re _not_ a paying customer though,” Jackson interrupts, finally tearing his attention away from Mark. “You’re just a pain in my a-”

“There are children here, Jackson!” Jinyoung scolds, covering Youngjae’s ears hastily.

“I only see one child,” the tall boy next to Bambam points out.

“Yeah, that’s because _you’re_ one of the other ones, Yugyeommie,” Mark explains.

Jaebum feels a little lost. Jinyoung seems to notice, because he leans over and pats Jaebum’s hand comfortingly. “That’s Bambam, Jackson’s little brother,” he explains, pointing to the boy on the counter. “And that’s his friend Yugyeom. They have a habit of coming here every day and spending time irritating us instead of buying anything.”

“Who’s this?” Bambam asks, finally noticing Jaebum.

“That’s Jaebum,” Mark tells him, “and his son, Youngjae.”

“Ah, the elusive Jaebum-hyung.” Bambam nods in recognition and Jaebum has to wonder what exactly Mark has been saying about him. “Well, it’s nice to meet my future brother-in-law’s best friend.”

Jaebum is saved from having to reply to that by the sound of Jackson banging his head against the wall in apparent infuriation. Instead, he turns to Jinyoung and mutters, “Is it always like this?”

Jinyoung’s eyes crinkle at the corners and his hand flies up to cover his mouth as he laughs. “Pretty much, yeah.”

“Look, I finished my picture!” Youngjae declares proudly, drawing all the attention towards him. The drawing consists of five figures that vaguely resemble people. “I drew Appa and Jinyoungie-hyungnim and Mark-hyungnim and Jackson-hyungnim and me!”

“It looks really good, Youngjae-yah!” Jinyoung tells him sincerely. “I wish I could hang it up somewhere so everyone can see it.”

“You can have it!” Youngjae offers happily. “Then you won’t forget me!”

“I couldn’t forget you anyway, silly,” Jinyoung reassures him, tapping Youngjae on the nose gently. “But you have to promise to visit soon, okay?”

“I promise!” Youngjae says brightly.

“We should probably be going now,” Jaebum interjects. “It was nice to meet you all.” He doesn’t mean to let his gaze linger on Jinyoung as he says it, but Jinyoung is positively beaming, which pretty much makes it worth Mark, Jackson, Bambam, and Yugyeom’s giggles in the background.

“It was great to meet you too,” Jinyoung replies delightedly. “And Youngjae, of course.” He crouches down so he’s face-to-face with Youngjae. “You’re giving me your drawing, so I have a gift for you, too.” He goes behind the counter, and within thirty seconds, produces a cup filled to the brim with hot chocolate. “For you to enjoy at home,” he explains. “Share it with your Appa, all right?”

Youngjae nods happily and takes the cup. “Thank you, Jinyoungie-hyungnim!”

Jaebum moves to take out his wallet, but Jinyoung stops him. “It’s on the house,” he says firmly. “I got to keep Youngjae’s drawing, after all.”

“I - thank you,” Jaebum tells him. “You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to,” Jinyoung replies like it’s nothing. “I’ll see you around?” He sounds almost hopeful, and Jaebum doubts he’d ever be able to say no anyway.

“You better be back soon!” Mark calls. “You have no excuse now!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jaebum tries to play it off, even though he knows he won’t be able to stay away for long. “See you all!” He takes Youngjae’s free hand and they wave to everyone as they walk out.

It’s only when they get home and Youngjae declares that he can’t drink any more hot chocolate that Jaebum notices that there’s something written on the cup. In black marker, it reads, _Thank you for letting me keep your lovely drawing, Youngjae~~ Don’t forget to visit your Jinyoungie-hyungnim very soon! P.S. ~ Tell your Appa that he’s invited too :)_

~~~

Youngjae, of course, interprets “very soon” to mean “the very next day,” and begs to return to the coffee shop, a sentiment that Jaebum finds that he agrees quite strongly with. He does, however, feel that he needs to maintain some semblance of being a father who _doesn’t_ give in to his son’s every desire, so he resolutely refuses. “Youngjae-yah, we just went yesterday. You can’t have hot chocolate two days in a row.”

“But _Appa_ ,” Youngjae whines, and Jaebum _almost_ wants to give in, but then he pulls out his ace.

“Remember what Jinyoungie-hyungnim said?” Jaebum asks, and he tries not to think about the way the nickname rolls so smoothly off his tongue. “What happens if you have hot chocolate too much?”

“A tummy ache,” Youngjae pouts. It’s enough to convince him that a trip to the coffee shop is out of the question today, but he’s still a little grumpy, even after Jaebum presses a few kisses to his cheeks and lets him watch a movie, until finally Jaebum suggests that they order pizza for dinner.

“And we’ll go back to the coffee shop soon, okay? I promise,” Jaebum assures his son.

“And see Jinyoungie-hyungnim?” Youngjae demands.

“And see Jinyoungie-hyungnim,” Jaebum agrees. He tries to ignore the fact that he’s looking forward to it just as much as Youngjae is.

Mark, who in addition to being his best friend is also Jaebum’s flatmate, comes home at dinnertime to find them both sulking on the couch, a box of pizza on the coffee table and a cartoon playing on TV. He grins at the sight of father and son sitting side-by-side with their arms crossed, twin morose expressions on their faces. He has his phone out and is already taking a picture before Jaebum can even process what’s happening. “So what’s up with the gloomy parade today?” Mark asks cheerfully, dropping himself on the couch next to Youngjae.

“Who’s gloomy?” Jaebum retorts defensively. “Also, delete that picture. Or at least crop me out.”

“I miss Jinyoungie-hyungnim,” Youngjae tells Mark dutifully before Mark can reply to Jaebum. “Appa said we couldn’t go see him today because I’ll get a tummy ache from too much hot chocolate so we got pizza instead.”

Mark smirks slightly, realization dawning upon him. “ _Oh_ , so you’re both upset because you didn’t get to visit Jinyoung today?” He throws a sly look at Jaebum.

“No,” Jaebum says too quickly, willing himself not to blush. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, because I’m not even upset.”

“Okay,” Mark agrees, sounding amused and completely unconvinced. “Well, I’m just going to send this picture to Jinyoung now. He’ll certainly be happy to hear that his two favorite customers are already missing him. He wouldn’t stop talking about you all day today.”

Jaebum tries not to feel too elated about that. _He was probably talking about Youngjae_ , Jaebum tells himself sternly. Still, no matter what he tries to convince Mark, the fact remains that he hasn’t been able to get the picture of Jinyoung smiling prettily at him, the sound of Jinyoung’s laughter, out of his head all day.

He’s broken out of his thoughts by the sound of Youngjae exclaiming, “Appa look, Jinyoungie-hyungnim sent us a message!”

“Huh?” Jaebum asks dazedly.

Youngjae brandishes Mark’s phone at Jaebum insistently. “Look! Mark-hyungnim sent him the picture of us and said that we miss him a lot and he said that he misses us too!”

Jaebum peers at the message more closely. “ _soo cute~~_ ,” it reads. “ _i miss you too youngjae :) and jaebum hyung too of course ;P_ ”

Mark grins at Jaebum suggestively. “You two really hit it off yesterday, huh? Already at the ‘flirty emoji’ level.”

“Can we please not talk about flirty emojis while my son is in the room?” Jaebum sighs. Fortunately, Youngjae is happily typing out another message to Jinyoung on Mark’s phone and seems oblivious to his surroundings. “And it’s just an emoji, maybe he thought it would be weird if he only sent Youngjae one. Also, we talked for maybe half an hour at _most_ , that doesn’t mean we’re magically into each other.”

“I never said anything about you being into each other,” Mark points out smugly. “I just said you seemed to get along well. But if you want to go down that road, I’ll have you know that I had a pretty good view of the two of you yesterday. Honestly, anyone would’ve thought that Jinyoung personally hung the stars in the sky for you from the way you were looking at him. And let me tell you, I’ve _never_ seen you look at anyone else that way before.”

~~~

Jaebum manages to hold out for one more day before Youngjae practically drags him back to the coffee shop (not that he’s really complaining). It’s nearing the end of the day, a time that Jaebum chose on purpose in anticipation of there being less of a crowd. Sure enough, the only people in the shop are Jackson, Mark, Jinyoung, Bambam, and Yugyeom, the former two deep in conversation, the latter two chatting animatedly with each other at one of the tables, and Jinyoung leaning against the counter looking bored. Youngjae jumps out of Jaebum’s arms the moment they walk through the door and runs towards the counter excitedly. “We’re back, Jinyoungie-hyungnim! Did you miss us?”

Jinyoung’s bored expression vanishes, replaced by a bright smile. “Youngjae!” His eyes find Jaebum, walking towards them with his hands in his pockets. “Jaebum-hyung! It’s great to see you two again.”

“Thank God you’re here, hyung,” Bambam calls from his and Yugyeom’s table. “Jinyoung-hyung wouldn’t stop talking about you guys.”

“That’s not true,” Mark reasons, turning away from Jackson to join the conversation. For a moment, Jinyoung looks grateful, but then Mark continues. “He stopped for fifteen seconds to take an order, remember?”

“ _Anyway_ ,” Jinyoung interrupts loudly. “What can I get for you today?”

“A hot chocolate again please!” Youngjae requests. “It tasted so good last time. Can you make it the same way please, Jinyoungie-hyungnim?”

“Of course,” Jinyoung assures him with a smile. “One hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows, coming right up.”

“And a latte, please,” Jaebum adds belatedly. “Just a small one.”

“I got it,” Jackson calls. Jinyoung turns, raising his eyebrows at him, and receives a grin in response. “I’m sure Jaebum-hyung will live even if his latte is made by little old me instead of you.” Bambam, Mark, and Yugyeom all seem to be amused by this; Jinyoung just flushes slightly and turns back to face Jaebum.

“Anything else?” Jinyoung asks, and Jaebum shakes his head. “Okay,” he continues, smiling at Jaebum. “Your orders will be ready in a bit.”

“Great,” Jaebum replies, returning the smile. “Thanks, Jinyoung. Come on Youngjae-yah, let’s sit down.” Youngjae, who had run over to greet Mark, returns to Jaebum’s side and joins him at the table next to Yugyeom and Bambam’s.

“So hyung,” Yugyeom starts conversationally. “When are you going to ask Jinyoung-hyung out?” He and Bambam both look at Jaebum expectantly as he speaks.

Jaebum blinks a few times, slightly stunned. “Are you always this blunt?” he finally asks, trying to maintain some of his dignity. “Some people might find it disrespectful, you know.”

“Only to people we like,” Bambam says in what he probably thinks is a reassuring manner.

“That means we like you,” Yugyeom adds, apparently believing that Jaebum didn’t pick up on the implication. Jaebum thinks maybe he should be more annoyed with them, but he finds that he really isn’t at all. They seem like good kids, despite their slight disregard for being considerate.

“I’m flattered,” he tells them dryly, but he lets a small smile creep onto his face. The two younger boys grin at each other, and then exchange a look. They’re clearly desperate to ask him something else, and Jaebum sighs internally. “All right, what is it?”

“Can we play with Youngjae?” Bambam blurts out eagerly. “He’s so _cute_.”

Jaebum laughs, amused by the unexpectedness of the question. _They really are harmless,_  he thinks, feeling almost fond. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Fortunately for Yugyeom and Bambam, Youngjae is delighted to have two new playmates and immediately invites them to join him in a game that involves singing and guessing what the song is. By the third song, Youngjae is winning and Bambam and Yugyeom look impressed by Youngjae’s singing skills.

“You sing so well, Youngjae-yah!” Jinyoung tells him as he sits down at their table with two mugs in his hands. “Here’s your hot chocolate.” Youngjae stops mid-song to thank Jinyoung enthusiastically and take the mug. Jinyoung slides the other mug to Jaebum. “And here’s your latte, Jaebum-hyung.”

Jaebum smiles at him from across the table. “Thank you, Jinyoung-ah.”

“I made the latte!” Jackson reminds them from the counter. Jaebum shakes his head in amusement as Mark hits Jackson playfully on the arm in response.

They stay there for another twenty minutes, Jinyoung and Jaebum conversing with each other as Mark and Jackson start cleaning up the shop for closing and Youngjae continues his game with Bambam and Yugyeom. A few minutes before the official closing time, Mark finally interrupts Jinyoung and Jaebum so that Jinyoung can help with wrapping things up for the day. Jinyoung throws Jaebum an apologetic smile as he goes to pick up the empty mugs, but Jaebum just shakes his head fondly and picks them up first.

“You guys will come again right?” Yugyeom asks hopefully as Jaebum follows Jinyoung back to the counter with the mugs in tow.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Bambam scoffs. “As if Jaebum-hyung could stay away. And more importantly, as if Youngjae could stay away from _us_.”

“I’ll miss you, Bambam-hyungnim and Yugyeom-hyungnim!” Youngjae declares, hugging them tightly. “But next time I come, we can play more!” Bambam and Yugyeom nod enthusiastically in agreement.

“Don’t worry, we’ll come back soon,” Jaebum promises, his eyes finding their way to Jinyoung even though he’s talking to everyone else too.

(And they do, two days later. And again, three days after that. And again, and again, until it becomes habit and they stop by the shop at least twice a week. Jaebum has to sit through Bambam, Yugyeom, Jackson, and Mark’s suggestive comments constantly, but it’s entirely worth the smiles that light up Youngjae and Jinyoung’s faces every time Jaebum and Youngjae walk in.)

~~~

“Now Youngjae-yah, you’re in charge of the list today,” Jaebum warns his son playfully as they walk into the grocery store together. “Can I trust to you to tell me what we need?”

“Yes Appa!” Youngjae agrees excitedly, proud to have been given such a large responsibility. “I’ll only read the list and not add anything!” He’s been practicing his reading for school, Jaebum knows, and he’s always eager for any opportunity to show off his skills.

“And don’t forget to keep holding my hand, okay?” Jaebum reminds him, squeezing Youngjae’s hand gently as he picks up a basket with his free hand.

“I won’t let go!” Youngjae promises, beaming up at him and swinging their hands.

“So what’s first?” Jaebum asks, looking down at him with an expectant smile.

“Eggs!” Youngjae reads. “Are the eggs for when we have ramen?”

“That’s right!” Jaebum confirms with a grin as they walk towards where the eggs are. “Look at you, already knowing how to make good ramen. Next time I should let you help me make some.”

Youngjae’s eyes light up. “Please, Appa? I promise I’ll be _really_ helpful!”

Jaebum laughs gently, placing the eggs in their basket before pinching Youngjae’s cheek affectionately. “Of course you can help, sunshine.” He points at the list. “What’s next?”

“Cucumbers,” Youngjae tells him, his nose crinkling in disgust. “Gross, Appa! I hate cucumbers!”

“I know, Youngjae-yah,” Jaebum replies in amusement. “But Mark and I like them, so we’ll just get a few, okay?”

Youngjae seems to consider it for a moment, pouting slightly, before nodding grudgingly. “But you can’t make me eat it!”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Jaebum smiles, shaking his head fondly as he adds several cucumbers to the basket. “Where to next, then?” But Youngjae’s attention is suddenly elsewhere. Jaebum glances down at him. “Youngjae-yah?”

Youngjae is staring, wide-eyed, at another customer standing a few meters away from them, who is apparently deep in thought as he looks at the various peppers on display. “Jinyoungie-hyungnim?”

The customer, who is indeed Jinyoung, starts at that and turns, surprise written all over his face. “Who - Youngjae!” His face lights up as he notices the little boy waving at him, and the smile on his face only grows wider as his eyes slide over to look at Jaebum. “Hi Youngjae, hi Jaebum-hyung! Imagine seeing you here!”

Jaebum’s heart stutters in his chest. It’s been weeks since they met, but this is the first time he’s seen Jinyoung in anything other than his work uniform. He’s not really wearing anything special - just a cream-colored sweater and dark jeans - but Jaebum thinks Jinyoung is probably more beautiful than any model he’s ever photographed. “Hi Jinyoung,” he manages to say. “It’s nice to see you. Outside the coffee shop, I mean.”

Jinyoung’s eyes shine. “It’s great to see you too.” He reaches down to tap Youngjae’s nose, much to Youngjae’s delight. “Both of you!”

“We’re getting groceries!” Youngjae informs Jinyoung. “And I’m in charge of the list. I can read all the things we need.”

“Wow!” Jinyoung smiles at him, impressed. “That’s a big responsibility. You must be really smart to be able to read everything on the list.”

“I’m practicing how to read,” Youngjae says, looking pleased at the compliment. “So I can do good in school!”

“I’m sure you will,” Jinyoung assures him, ruffling his hair as he meets Jaebum’s eyes. “You’re just the kind of responsible student I would love to have in my classes in the future. I’m sure your Appa is very proud of you.”

“Of course,” Jaebum agrees, a smile creeping onto his face. “I’m always proud of him.” They stand there for a few seconds before Jaebum remembers where they are and shakes his head abruptly to clear out his wandering thoughts. “Well, anyway, we don’t want to hold you up, I’m sure you’re busy shopping.”

“I’m not in any hurry,” Jinyoung reassures him. “This is fine.”

“You should stay with us, Jinyoungie-hyungnim,” Youngjae suggests happily. “Then we can all buy things together!”

“Well,” Jinyoung starts, considering the proposition. “If your Appa doesn’t mind me tagging along, then I’d love to.”

“Of course,” Jaebum says immediately, and Jinyoung beams. They walk side by side through the store, talking easily, while Youngjae leads the way as he reads off the list. Jaebum tries not to think about the way Jinyoung looks at Youngjae like he’s his own son, tries to ignore the urge to take Jinyoung’s hand each time their hands brush together, tries to stop himself from thinking about how well they all fit together, like a real family. (He tries, he really does. But in all honesty, he’s not really surprised to find that he can’t do it.)

~~~

Jaebum walks into the coffee shop, one hand holding his camera and the other keeping Youngjae at his side. There isn’t really a reason for them to be here; they had come yesterday for Youngjae’s hot chocolate and he hadn’t even asked today, but they had been out for a walk and Jaebum had found himself walking here almost subconsciously. As usual, Youngjae starts to run toward the counter as they walk inside, but before he can fully let go of Jaebum’s hand, Jaebum stops short at the sight in front of him.

Jinyoung is standing behind the cash register, leaning on the counter with his chin resting on his palm, the sunlight streaming in through the window casting a soft glow on his face. He looks ethereal, and Jaebum never takes pictures of people without asking them permission first, but before he can stop himself, his hand is already sliding out of Youngjae’s, he’s already holding his camera up to his face and snapping a picture.

The sound of the camera clicking makes Jinyoung’s head snap up in surprise. And if he was beautiful before, then he’s stunning now, a radiant smile lighting up his face at the sight of them. “Jaebum-hyung! Youngjae-yah! I didn’t expect to see you today!”

“Hi Jinyoungie-hyungnim!” Youngjae finally runs to the counter and beams up at Jinyoung. “We just came to see you!”

“Is that so?” Jinyoung asks amusedly. “No hot chocolate today?”

“I had hot chocolate yesterday, remember?” Youngjae pouts. “Today we really only came to see you, I promise!”

“I’m flattered, Youngjae-yah!” Jinyoung smiles, his face fond. He turns to Jaebum and gestures to the camera. “Anyway, what was so interesting in this humble little shop that you had to take a picture, hyung?”

“I, uh, it was -” Jaebum stammers, trying to formulate the words to explain himself without seeming creepy.

“It was you!” Youngjae tells Jinyoung cheerfully, effectively cutting Jaebum off. “Because when we came inside you looked so pretty, like an angel!”

Jinyoung and Jaebum both turn red at that, although Jinyoung has a tiny, pleased smile on his face. “I can delete it if you want!” Jaebum blurts out hurriedly. “I swear I usually ask permission before I take pictures, but the lighting was perfect and -”

“It’s okay, hyung,” Jinyoung interrupts, his cheeks still flushed. “I don’t mind.” His smile widens a little as he looks Jaebum straight in the eyes. “In fact, you can take more if you want.”

Jaebum tries not to look too happy at that. “Really?”

“Of course,” Jinyoung confirms. “You don’t have to ask me permission. But make sure you get my good side!”

“It’s not like you have a bad side.” Jaebum says it quietly, but judging by the way Jinyoung’s eyes twinkle at him, he hadn’t been quiet enough. “Um, anyway, can I just get a regular coffee please?”

“Coming right up,” Jinyoung replies with a smile.

Jaebum pays for the coffee, then brings Youngjae over to a table on the other side of the shop. Youngjae hums to himself contentedly, playing a game on Jaebum’s phone, while Jaebum picks up his camera and watches Jinyoung prepare his coffee. He ends up taking more than 50 pictures as Jinyoung works, because apparently, Jinyoung looks impossibly good while doing absolutely anything.

Eventually, Jinyoung brings the mug over and places it in front of Jaebum. “Enjoy,” he says, flashing a grin at Jaebum as he ruffles Youngjae’s hair affectionately. Youngjae smiles at the contact, obviously realizing exactly who it is, but he doesn’t look up from his game.

Jaebum responds by capturing another picture of Jinyoung’s face. “Thanks,” he replies, smiling up at him. “For everything.”

“My pleasure,” Jinyoung returns, and he actually winks at Jaebum before he returns to the counter.

Jaebum is left blinking after him, speechless. For a wild moment, he wishes that Mark or Jackson, or even Bambam or Yugyeom were here to confirm that he hadn’t just imagined that whole exchange. _There’s no way he was just flirting with me_ , Jaebum tells himself firmly. _Right?_

~~~

Jaebum walks as quickly as he can down the street while still keeping a tight hold on Youngjae’s hand. Youngjae, seemingly recognizing that his father is feeling a little frantic, follows his lead without complaint. They reach the coffee shop in just under ten minutes, which is quite a feat considering that it’s at least a mile from Jaebum’s apartment.

Jinyoung is the only person in the shop when Jaebum and Youngjae burst in, his back to the door as he wipes a table down. “Jinyoungie-hyungnim!” Youngjae immediately lets go of Jaebum’s hand, a bright smile already on his face, and runs over to Jinyoung, hugging his leg tightly.

“Youngjae-yah?” Jinyoung asks as he looks down, startled. Despite his initial shock, he sweeps Youngjae into his arms and allows the boy to kiss his cheek happily. Jinyoung turns his attention to Jaebum, who’s still standing in the doorway, looking around the shop anxiously. “Jaebum-hyung? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but we’re actually just about to close.”

“That’s okay, I just needed to find Mark,” Jaebum reassures Jinyoung, because even though he’s feeling extremely hassled, wiping the apologetic look off Jinyoung’s face is suddenly a priority in his mind. “Is he here?”

Jinyoung looks slightly perplexed. “No? He and Jackson took off early today. I think they’re finally going on a date, actually.” Normally, Jaebum would be happy to hear that his friends finally got their acts together, but right now, all he feels is a rising sense of panic in his chest. Jinyoung seems to notice, because concern immediately floods his face. “Hyung, what’s wrong?”

Jaebum takes a deep breath. “I just - I have a really important shoot I have to be at in…” He glances down at his watch. “In less than half an hour, but there’s no one to look after Youngjae.”

Jinyoung looks at him incredulously. “Hyung, I’m standing right here.”

“What?” Jaebum asks, caught off guard.

Jinyoung rolls his eyes good-naturedly. “I can look after Youngjae.”

Youngjae, who has been content to sit quietly in Jinyoung’s arms and play with his hair this whole time, gasps in delight. “Please Appa? Can I stay with Jinyoungie-hyungnim? I promise I’ll be good!”

“I -” Jaebum’s immediate reaction to protest dies in his throat as he looks at the two hopeful expressions in front of him. Youngjae’s wide, pleading eyes paired with Jinyoung’s tiny, breathtaking smile leaves Jaebum with little choice but to say yes. “Only if it isn’t too much trouble for you, Jinyoung.”

“It isn’t!” Jinyoung declares immediately, hugging Youngjae tighter. “I would love to look after my favorite hot chocolate lover!” He taps Youngjae’s nose with a smile as he speaks.

Youngjae looks equally ecstatic at the prospect of spending the evening with Jinyoung, leaning in to kiss Jinyoung’s cheek again. “We’re gonna have so much fun! Thank you Appa!”

Some of the tension in Jaebum’s mind eases as he watches the pair of them interact. He makes his way over to where Jinyoung is standing to he can press a kiss to Youngjae’s cheek. “Be good, okay Youngjae-yah? Your Jinyoungie-hyungnim is doing us a big favor.”

“It’s nothing, hyung, seriously,” Jinyoung assures him, and Jaebum is too distracted to notice the light flush that appears on Jinyoung’s face at Jaebum’s words. “Um, Jackson did request that I leave our apartment empty tonight, but if you want, I can ask him to go to Mark’s instead -”

“You don’t need to go to all that trouble,” Jaebum interrupts quickly. “I mean, seeing as Mark’s is also mine. You could just stay with Youngjae there, if that’s okay with you of course. It just might be easier, since all his things are there.”

“That works out perfectly!” Jinyoung agrees. He sets Youngjae down on the table he had been wiping before. “Youngjae-yah, you can lead me back home, right?”

“I know the way because we come here so much! So I remember the whole way home!” Youngjae tells him proudly.

Jaebum watches them fondly for a moment before another wave of urgency washes over him. “Okay, I really have to run now. Here’s the key to the apartment. Youngjae can tell you my number, so just text me when you reach, okay? And let me know if there are any problems.”

“I’m sure there won’t be, but I will,” Jinyoung promises. “Go on now, hyung. I’m just finishing up here and then we’ll be on our way. Good luck at your shoot! I know you’ll be amazing!”

Jaebum turns to leave, but before he does, he faces Jinyoung again. “This means a lot. Really,” Jaebum says sincerely. “I just - thank you so much, Jinyoungie.” He doesn’t even notice the nickname slipping out until after he says it.

Jinyoung’s cheeks are lightly dusted with pink, but his voice is steady as he smiles softly at Jaebum. “Any time, hyung.”

~~~

It’s nearing eight o’clock by the time Jaebum reaches home, exhausted after nearly three hours of photographing two somewhat difficult-to-deal-with models. He walks into the apartment and is greeted by the sight of Youngjae curled up in Jinyoung’s lap on the couch, his head resting on Jinyoung’s chest and Jinyoung’s arms wrapped securely around him as they watch a movie. Jaebum is tired and to be quite honest, sick of taking pictures for the day, but the scene before him is so precious that he has to immortalize it.

They hadn’t noticed him open the door, but the sound of the camera clicking makes them both jump in surprise. Simultaneously, they turn to face him, Youngjae lifting his head off Jinyoung’s chest to get a better view. “Jaebum-hyung! You’re back!” Jinyoung’s smile lights up the room, and Jaebum can’t help himself; he raises his camera and takes another picture.

“Hey,” he greets them, finally putting the camera aside. “How was everything?” He meets Jinyoung’s eyes. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

“Youngjae is wonderful,” Jinyoung tells him, and Jaebum knows he’s being sincere. “He was no trouble at all, and we had lots of fun, didn’t we, Youngjae-yah?”

“It was so fun, Appa!” Youngjae agrees excitedly, still perched comfortably in Jinyoung’s arms. “Jinyoungie-hyungnim played lots of games with me and we read a story and then we started watching The Lion King!”

“Sounds like you had a great time,” Jaebum replies fondly. He collapses on the couch next to them and turns to face Jinyoung. “Jinyoung-ah, I seriously can’t thank you enough. Just let me know how much you want for looking after him, I owe you.”

Jinyoung looks at him for a moment, then shakes his head, smiling gently. “You don’t owe me anything, hyung. I offered to look after Youngjae because I wanted to.”

“Still,” Jaebum insists, because there’s no way he’s accepting this as a free favor; Jinyoung deserves more than that. The next words tumble out of his mouth before he can stop them. “If you won’t let me pay you, then at least stay for dinner.”

“Yeah!” Youngjae chimes in before Jinyoung can say anything. “Appa makes really really good ramen, Jinyoungie-hyungnim. You have to try it! Please stay?”

Jinyoung looks between the two of them and gives in almost immediately. “I - okay.” He has a pleased little smile on his face; Jaebum’s heart beats a little faster as he watches him.

“Great!” Jaebum says, trying not to make it obvious that the idea of Jinyoung spending more time at home with him and Youngjae is making him almost giddy with happiness. “I’ll just get Youngjae ready for his bath and then I can start dinner.” He attempts to hide a yawn as he prepares to get up.

“No offense, but you look exhausted,” Jinyoung tells him, placing a hand on his arm to prevent him from standing up. “You should rest for a bit. I can set up Youngjae’s bath.”

Jaebum is conflicted, because on one hand, he doesn’t want to trouble Jinyoung any more than he already has, but at the same time, he really _is_ tired and Jinyoung doesn’t exactly look annoyed by the idea of helping out. “Are you sure?” he asks, but it’s half-hearted and Jinyoung can clearly tell because he just smiles amusedly at Jaebum before standing up swiftly with Youngjae in his arms.

“We’ll be out soon to help with dinner, okay?” Jinyoung promises before walking towards Youngjae’s room, listening to Youngjae chatter away happily about which bath toys are his favorites and why.

“Thanks, Jinyoungie,” Jaebum calls after them tiredly. He closes his eyes for a few minutes and tries to think about anything but how perfect Jinyoung had looked sitting in Jaebum’s apartment with Youngjae in his arms. He can hear Youngjae delighted giggles and Jinyoung’s melodic voice coming from the bathroom and he sighs wistfully. _He fits so perfectly in our lives_.

By the time Jinyoung returns with a pajama-clad Youngjae skipping happily alongside him, Jaebum has managed to drag himself off the couch and start cooking. Jinyoung sets Youngjae on an empty section of the counter and turns to Jaebum. “So, how can we help?”

“You really don’t have to -” Jaebum starts, but breaks off at the look Jinyoung gives him. “I mean, how about you start cutting the vegetables and Youngjae can help me stir the noodles?”

Jinyoung beams at him and sets up the cutting board as Jaebum lifts Youngjae and seats him on the counter next to the stove. They work efficiently, the air filled with conversation as they talk about their days and Youngjae keeps up a constant stream of chatter. Finally, all that’s left is for all the ingredients to cook together. Jinyoung leans against one of the counters and watches as Jaebum occasionally stirs the pot. “Do you cook a lot, hyung?”

Jaebum opens his mouth to reply, but Youngjae answers for him. “Appa cooks all the time! But sometimes he’s too tired after work so then we order things,” Youngjae explains. “Mark-hyungnim tries to cook sometimes but it doesn’t always taste that good. But we eat it anyway because we love Mark-hyungnim!”

“Well, I’m sure he’s very grateful for that,” Jinyoung replies, his eyes shining with mirth. “I can’t wait to try your Appa’s cooking, though.”

“It’s the best!” Youngjae declares. Jaebum finds himself fiercely hoping that Jinyoung agrees.

“I don’t doubt it,” Jinyoung says with a grin.

“Well, you get to judge for yourself now,” Jaebum tells him, placing a portion of noodles in a bowl and offering it to Jinyoung.

Jinyoung tries a bite as Jaebum fills another bowl for Youngjae. “This is so good!” Jinyoung exclaims. “Hyung, you cook so well!”

“It’s only ramen,” Jaebum responds sheepishly. “Nothing special.”

“It’s amazing,” Jinyoung insists.

“I told you,” Youngjae cuts in smugly through a mouthful of ramen. “You should come all the time for dinner, Jinyoungie-hyungnim. Appa cooks lots of good things.”

Jinyoung just smiles softly, holding his bowl in one hand so he can lift Youngjae with his free arm and carry him over to the table. Jaebum joins them at the table a moment later with his own bowl, and the three of them eat together, Jinyoung occasionally stopping to feed Youngjae a few bites despite Youngjae being perfectly capable of feeding himself. “It _would_ be nice to come here more,” Jinyoung murmurs, and it’s so quiet that Jaebum thinks that maybe he wasn’t meant to hear it.

Jaebum doesn’t say anything in return, but his heart is racing and his mind is suddenly filled with images of this happening every day; Jinyoung taking care of Youngjae’s bath as Jaebum starts dinner, Jinyoung helping Jaebum cook while Youngjae sits on the counter and helps in his own way, Jinyoung feeding Youngjae as the three of them eat together, Jinyoung slowly but surely becoming one of the most important parts of their lives. He’s almost dizzy with how fiercely he wants it.

His heart feels too big in his chest as he watches Jinyoung wipe Youngjae’s mouth with a napkin, giggling at something Youngjae said, and he thinks that for now, at least, maybe this is enough.

~~~

The next afternoon, Mark, upon hearing about the events of the previous evening, yells at Jaebum for not just asking Jinyoung to be his boyfriend right then and there. “I just don’t understand, really. I know you haven’t dated since Youngjae’s mother, but this is different. You clearly want this, Youngjae adores him, and you’re already practically dating him anyway. What’s holding you back, Jaebum-ah?”

Jaebum wants to point out that Mark and Jackson had, up until yesterday, been in the exact same position. Mark does have a point though, and the more Jaebum thinks about it, the more ridiculous it seems. It’s been pretty obvious since day one that Jaebum is utterly, devastatingly attracted to Jinyoung; he never really even bothered trying to pretend that he isn’t. Moreover, Jinyoung isn’t exactly subtle about the fact that he returns Jaebum’s feelings. And of course, his willingness to fully accept Youngjae into his life just shows that he has no qualms about playing the role of a parent, either. It’s _easy_ with Jinyoung, in a way that it’s never been with anyone else, even Youngjae’s mother.

Suddenly, Jaebum is exasperated with himself for not doing anything about this sooner. “I have to go,” he tells Mark abruptly, grabbing his phone and his camera (the two things he never leaves the house without). “Tell Youngjae I’ll be back in a bit.”

“About time,” Mark says, his voice full of affection even as he rolls his eyes. “Good luck!”

Jaebum runs out of the apartment and makes it to the coffee shop in record time. He belatedly realizes that he has no idea whether Jinyoung is working right now, or whether he even has a shift today. Fortunately, fate seems to be on his side because he opens the door and walks in to find Jinyoung in his usual spot at the counter.

Jinyoung turns to see who the new customer is, and his face clouds with slight confusion as he takes in Jaebum’s somewhat disheveled form. “Jaebum-hyung? Did you... _run_ here?”

“I, uh - maybe,” Jaebum manages to get out, trying to catch his breath.

“Okay,” Jinyoung says warily, but doesn’t question it further. “No Youngjae today?”

“Just me,” Jaebum confirms, his breathing finally back to normal, but his heart rate still elevated, although for a completely different reason. “I had a question for you.”

Jinyoung looks even more puzzled. “What’s up?”

“Would you go out with me?” Jaebum blurts out. “Like, date me?” Jinyoung, looking rather taken aback, stares at him for a moment without saying anything, long enough that Jaebum starts to wonder if after all these months, he’s read the situation wrong.

“I -” Jinyoung starts.

“It’s okay if you say no,” Jaebum adds hurriedly, suddenly paranoid about forcing Jinyoung into something he doesn’t want.

“It’s not that!” Jinyoung clarifies in a rush, looking embarrassed. “It’s just, I was kind of under the impression that I, um, already am?” He meets Jaebum’s eyes sheepishly. “Dating you, I mean. Even though we haven’t gone on any real dates. We’ve kind of been at it for ages, haven’t we?”

It’s Jaebum’s turn to be rendered speechless. “Oh,” he replies. They look at each other for a few long moments before Jaebum clears his throat. “So...just to clarify, is that a yes?”

Jinyoung rolls his eyes at him, all traces of embarrassment gone, but his face is still fond. “ _Yes_ , Jaebum-hyung. Of course it’s a yes. But I expect us go on actual dates now, okay?”

Jaebum feels a wave of relief wash over him. “Of course, Jinyoungie. All the time. Whenever you want.”

Jinyoung giggles suddenly. “It’s kind of cute how you ran all the way here just to ask me that.” He rests his chin on his palms with his elbows on the counter, leaning closer to Jaebum and smiling. “Very romantic.”

“Don’t get used to it,” Jaebum warns, but his tone is too light to be serious.

“No promises,” Jinyoung teases, and his face is so close now that Jaebum is sure he’s going to kiss him right here in front of the whole coffee shop, but then the door opens and another customer walks in. Jinyoung presses a fleeting kiss to Jaebum’s cheek instead before drawing away reluctantly. “If you wanted to go somewhere today, I don’t get off for another hour,” he tells Jaebum regretfully.

“That’s okay,” Jaebum replies, pulling out his camera with a grin. “I can wait.”

~~~

Jaebum runs a hand through his hair for the fifth time in the last ten minutes and takes a calming breath as he and Youngjae make their way up the stairs to Jinyoung and Jackson’s apartment. He’s on his way to pick up Jinyoung for their first official date (Jinyoung had deemed the one on the day Jaebum confessed as their first _un_ official date), and to drop off Youngjae with his babysitters for the night, Mark and Jackson. “Appa, why are you so scared?” Youngjae asks, his face scrunched up in curiosity.

“I’m not scared, Youngjae-yah,” Jaebum explains gently. “I’m just nervous. You know that I like your Jinyoungie-hyungnim a lot, right?”

“I know,” Youngjae affirms. “He makes you smile your super happy smile. You used to only smile your super happy smile at me, but now you smile it at Jinyoungie-hyungnim too!” Youngjae’s certainty takes Jaebum by surprise. He forgets sometimes that Youngjae might be young, but he’s also very observant. “But why are you nervous? Jinyoungie-hyungnim likes you a lot too. He told me.”

“Did he?” Jaebum looks down at Youngjae, surprised. “When?”

“When we played together at home before you came back and made ramen,” Youngjae tells him. “I already saw that you like him and so I asked him if he likes you and he said that he likes you very, very much.”

Jaebum stops abruptly at that and kneels down to be at eye level with his son. “Youngjae-yah, I’m going on a date with Jinyoung tonight. Do you know what that means?”

Youngjae considers it for a moment. “It means that you love him?”

Jaebum laughs softly. “Well, not quite. It means that he’s my boyfriend. So I’m going to spend a lot of time with him. He’s going to come to our house more, and I’ll go to his house more, and you’re going to see him a lot. And probably some day, yes, I’ll fall in love with him, too.”

Youngjae smiles in delight. “I think it’s good that Jinyoungie-hyungnim is your boyfriend because then I can see him all the time! I hope you fall in love with Jinyoungie-hyungnim, Appa. In school we learned that Appas and Ummas love each other, so if you love each other then he can be my Umma!”

Jaebum chokes a bit at that, not because it’s not something he wants, but because it’s a little soon to be thinking about that already. “Yeah,” he agrees faintly. “Hopefully that’ll happen one day too, sunshine. Now let’s get going, they’re probably wondering where we are!”

The door to Jinyoung and Jackson’s flat is already open; apparently Yugyeom and Bambam had shown up because they too wanted to help babysit Youngjae. There’s a flurry of greetings as Youngjae runs to hug everyone and Jaebum receives a brief but firm “if-you-hurt-him” speech from Jackson. “Not that I think you will,” Jackson adds thoughtfully at the end. “It’s only been three months and anyone can see that you’re half in love with him already.”

“Wonderful,” Jaebum deadpans, but there’s no heat in his voice because he’s painfully aware that Jackson is absolutely right.

“Are you ready to go, hyung?” And suddenly, there’s Jinyoung smiling at him and he’s all Jaebum can see. He looks the same as he always does, but he’s radiating happiness and Jaebum feels a little breathless from how lovely he is.

“Whenever you are,” Jaebum replies, feeling a goofy smile spread across his face just from knowing that he’s the reason Jinyoung looks like he’s glowing.

“Have fun you two!” Bambam calls, Youngjae perched in his arms while at his side, Yugyeom talks to the little boy.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Jackson warns with a grin. “Always be safe! Remember to use protection!”

“My son is _right there_ ,” Jaebum groans, and Jinyoung tangles their fingers together to squeeze his hand comfortingly. “Please don’t corrupt him. That goes for all of you.” He’s not actually worried, though, and they apparently know this because they all just laugh.

“Bye Appa! Bye Jinyoungie-hyungnim! I hope you have lots of fun and like each other even more!” Youngjae beams at them, and they both can’t help but step forward to press a kiss to both his cheeks before finally leaving.

“So where are we going?” Jinyoung asks cheerfully, his hand still intertwined with Jaebum’s as they walk down the street.

“There’s this restaurant I take Youngjae to a lot,” Jaebum tells him. “He loves it, and I thought that if you liked it too then next time all three of us could go. You know, if you want to.”

“I’d love that,” Jinyoung beams, and Jaebum feels himself falling even more for this beautiful soul who has unconditionally accepted both Jaebum and Youngjae into his life.

The restaurant is only a short walk away, and it’s not long before they’re comfortably seated and looking at the menu (in reality, it’s more like Jinyoung looking at the menu and Jaebum looking at him). They order after Jaebum recommends a few dishes he likes, and they talk while they wait for the food. When it arrives, they start eating immediately.

Jinyoung is so focused on starting his meal that he doesn’t notice Jaebum pull out his phone, and only looks up when he hears the phone camera shutter. “Are you really still taking pictures of me?” Jinyoung asks amusedly. “Don’t you get tired of seeing the same face in all your photos?”

“Never,” Jaebum replies, and he knows it’s cheesy, but it’s worth it for the smile that spreads across Jinyoung’s face at his words.

“Let me see it,” Jinyoung says suddenly, and before Jaebum can react, Jinyoung has snatched his phone away.

“Hey!” Jaebum protests, but he’s not really trying to stop Jinyoung.

“Your lockscreen is so cute,” Jinyoung grins, fondly regarding the picture of Youngjae smiling toothily at the camera. Jaebum doesn’t have a passcode, so Jinyoung unlocks the phone easily, and his eyes widen slightly at the sight of Jaebum’s wallpaper, his original intentions for taking Jaebum’s phone forgotten. “This is... _me_.”

“The first picture I ever took of you,” Jaebum confirms. “That time at the coffee shop, remember?”

“Wow,” Jinyoung murmurs. “You really made me your wallpaper?” Jaebum reddens, but he nods, seeing no shame in admitting that his boyfriend (and he can’t believe how _good_ it feels to be able to call Jinyoung that) is his phone background. Jinyoung bites his lip, and suddenly he’s pulling out his own phone and taking a picture of Jaebum.

“What was that for?” Jaebum demands, though he’s not really upset.

“Now I have a picture of you to put as _my_ background,” Jinyoung explains, his eyes twinkling. And sure enough, he sets his wallpaper as the picture he just took. “It goes well with my lockscreen, don’t you think?” He shows it to Jaebum: it’s a selfie of Jinyoung and Youngjae in Jaebum’s apartment, clearly from the time Jinyoung babysat Youngjae. “Youngjae set it as my lockscreen for me after we took it.”

“He likes you so much,” Jaebum tells Jinyoung. “Right from the first day he met you, he’s liked you.”

“I liked him then too,” Jinyoung replies matter-of-factly. “Right away. And I was quite attracted to his father too.”

Jaebum smiles at that before looking Jinyoung directly in the eyes. “Remember how you said I didn’t have to tell you Youngjae’s story until I wanted to? Well, I want to.” Jinyoung nods, smiling encouragingly, and Jaebum takes that as a cue to continue. “He was born when I was 18. His mother was my girlfriend at the time, and I was _so sure_ we were in love.” He smiles wryly. “But we had one careless night, and she blamed me for throwing her life completely off balance. She was probably right, and I don’t blame her for leaving. But she let me keep Youngjae, no questions asked, and that was all I could ask for, really.”

Jinyoung reaches for his hand over the table and squeezes it. “Thank you for telling me, hyung.”

“I wanted you to know.” Jaebum squeezes back. “Now, we really should eat, because I think the food’s gone cold.” Jinyoung laughs, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth the way he always does, but this time, Jaebum reaches out his own hand to stop him. “Don’t cover your face, Jinyoungie. I like to see you laugh.”

“You’re so sappy,” Jinyoung teases, but his eyes are alight with happiness as the two of them finally start eating. They spend another half-hour talking as they enjoy their food, and after Jaebum manages to convince Jinyoung to let him pay the bill (“I’m the one who asked you out!”), they head out into the night, contentedly holding hands.

“So, Jinyoungie, did the first official date live up to your expectations?” Jaebum asks playfully.

“Hm,” Jinyoung hums, pretending to think about it. “Well, almost.”

“Almost?” Jaebum raises an eyebrow.

“The food was amazing, and the company was even better,” Jinyoung starts. He stops walking and looks Jaebum in the eye, leaning in close to whisper, “The thing is, the whole night was perfect and I _really_ like this guy. But you know what? He didn’t even kiss me.”

Jaebum lets out a breathy laugh as he wraps his arms around Jinyoung’s waist and leans closer to him. “Shame on him,” he murmurs, before closing the gap between their faces. Jinyoung tastes like the wine they had with dinner and something else, something unique and purely _Jinyoung_ , and Jaebum can’t get enough of it. Jinyoung’s hands find the back of Jaebum’s neck as he tries to pull him impossibly closer, the kiss getting more heated the longer it goes on for.

They finally break apart to catch their breath, cheeks flushed and eyes bright as they rest their foreheads against each other. “I changed my mind,” Jinyoung says breathlessly, smiling at Jaebum. “Our first date surpassed every expectation I had.”

Jaebum grins and presses another searing kiss to Jinyoung’s lips. “Come on,” he says as he takes Jinyoung’s hand again, his eyes full of promises. “Let’s go home.”

~~~

**1.5 years later**

Jaebum wakes up to an empty bed. This isn’t unusual; he’s long accepted the fact that Jinyoung, like Youngjae, is an early riser. He can hear Youngjae’s delighted giggles coming from the living room, and he feels himself falling a little more in love with Jinyoung for always being able to make his son ( _their_ son, really) so happy. It’s not really a particularly special morning, because most Saturday mornings begin this exact same way, but Jaebum finds himself overcome with emotion anyway. _Today’s the day_ , he thinks. Suddenly much more motivated to get up, he pulls himself out of bed and grabs his video camera, along with the little velvet box that’s been hiding in his drawer for weeks.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” Jaebum asks, walking into the living room as he records. “Did my two favorite boys decide to start the day without me?”

Jinyoung and Youngjae both look up from where they’re assembling words with Youngjae’s letter blocks, which Jinyoung and Jaebum had bought after Youngjae informed them that his school teaches English as a second language (“and I love learning English! I’m gonna be the best English speaker ever!” he had proclaimed). Jaebum’s heart skips a beat as he watches both Youngjae and Jinyoung’s faces light up at the sight of him.

“We had to, Appa!” Youngjae explains earnestly as Jaebum draws nearer and zooms the camera in on him. “You sleep lots more than me and Umma, and Umma said we shouldn’t disturb you or you’ll be grumpy.”

Youngjae started calling Jinyoung “Umma” a short while after Jinyoung moved in five months ago (the same time Mark moved out to live with Jackson), but it still does funny things to Jaebum’s heart to hear him say it. He’s looking at Jaebum expectantly now, though, so Jaebum brushes it off and focuses his attention on the situation before him. He raises an eyebrow playfully at Youngjae’s accusation. “Is that so?” He shifts the camera to focus on Jinyoung. “And what do you have to say about this, Jinyoungie?”

Jinyoung looks at him with wide eyes, pretending to be shocked, though there’s the barest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “What? I would _never_ say something like that, Youngjae-yah, how could you lie to Appa like that?”

“Umma, don’t be silly!” Youngjae giggles, and Jaebum sits down next to them as he zooms the camera out so he can capture the way Jinyoung’s eyes shine as he watches Youngjae with adoration. “You _always_ say Appa will get grumpy if we wake him up too early!”

“I might be grumpy anyway,” Jaebum warns, although the smile on his face eliminates any chance of him looking upset. “After all, I haven’t had my coffee yet because _someone_ decided to abandon me in bed this morning.” Jinyoung brings up a hand to stifle his laughter, but Youngjae suddenly looks concerned, so Jaebum adds, “But _maybe_ if I got a hug, I might not be grumpy anymore.”

Youngjae brightens up and throws himself at Jaebum happily. “I’ll hug you, Appa!” Jaebum doesn’t bother trying to keep the camera steady; he’s too busy hugging Youngjae back. “Now you can’t be grumpy anymore!”

“Yeah, hyung,” Jinyoung interjects, his smile light and teasing. “No more being grumpy, even without coffee.” Jaebum sticks his tongue out at his boyfriend over the top of Youngjae’s head, and Jinyoung collapses into laughter. He’s beautiful to watch, one of Jaebum’s favorite sights, and Jaebum is suddenly even more grateful that the whole thing is being captured on film.

Meanwhile, Youngjae untangles himself from Jaebum and returns to his blocks. “So anyway, what _are_ you two doing?” Jaebum refocuses the camera on the scene in front of him.

“We’re trying to spell me and Umma’s names!” Youngjae declares proudly. “We have five of the same letters, so that makes it easier.”

“I’ll bet,” Jaebum agrees with a grin. “What about _my_ name? We have some of the same letters too.”

“Your name is easy, Appa! There’s only six letters for your name. There’s _eight_ for me and Umma’s,” Youngjae explains, gesturing with his arms for emphasis.

“Can you try to spell it for me? Please?” Jaebum requests, smiling fondly at how Youngjae nods enthusiastically in response.

Youngjae searches through the blocks intently for a few moments and then points at the chosen letters. “Look, I did it!”

“That’s very impressive, sunshine,” Jinyoung praises warmly before his expression turns mischievous. "But _I_ think we don’t even need your Appa!” Youngjae tilts his head curiously and Jinyoung continues, “Our names share five of the same letters, but Appa’s name and yours only share three.” Jinyoung winks at Jaebum teasingly before turning back to Youngjae. “So I say we don’t need him. What do you think, Youngjae-yah?”

Youngjae’s face lights up; he loves helping Jinyoung tease Jaebum. Not for the first time, Jaebum wonders how Youngjae managed to become such a mommy’s boy. (Then again, Youngjae _was_ immediately drawn to Jinyoung on the first day they met, so maybe it’s not so surprising after all.) “Yeah! We don’t need Appa!” Youngjae says happily. He pushes the blocks away to prove his point and sticks his tongue out at Jaebum, his eyes sparkling in delight.

“Oh, I see,” Jaebum sighs, playing along. “You two just don’t love me anymore. Maybe I should just go.”

“No, Appa! You can’t leave! Umma, we have to make him stay!” Youngjae crawls into Jinyoung’s lap and they both pout at Jaebum, Jinyoung trying to hide his smile as he pulls Youngjae closer in an attempt to be more endearing (it’s working). “You didn’t even make me and Umma breakfast yet!”

Jaebum pretends to think. “I don’t know Youngjae, you and Umma are really ganging up on me today. I don’t think I can make you breakfast and let you two get away with this.”

“Oh really? I could always just do the cooking for today,” Jinyoung teases, clearly trying not to laugh.

“Just you wait, we’ll see who’s laughing!” Jaebum suddenly puts down the camera and lunges at them, sweeping Youngjae into his arms. “And just so you know, I’m not letting _either_ of you go until I get a proper apology!”

Youngjae screams in delight as Jaebum starts peppering kisses all over his face. “I’m sorry, Appa! I love you!”

Jaebum gives him one last kiss on his cheek before he relents and lets Youngjae go. “I love you too, sunshine. Do you want to go pick out what you want for breakfast while I deal with your Umma?” Youngjae nods and runs into the kitchen excitedly.

Jaebum turns to Jinyoung, smirking, and slowly moves towards him until he has Jinyoung trapped between his body and the couch. “So, Jinyoungie, any last words?”

Jinyoung looks up at him innocently. “Are you suggesting I should be afraid of my boyfriend who’s currently sitting in front of me in his _fluffy cat pajamas_?” He leans closer to Jaebum and smiles playfully, gesturing to the little white cats wearing bow ties that decorate Jaebum’s blue pajama pants. “Very frightening!”

“I can be scary,” Jaebum complains, bumping his nose against Jinyoung’s affectionately. “Even with my cat pajamas, which _happen_ to be my favorite. And they’re _very_ comfortable.”

“I hate to break it to you, but you aren’t scary,” Jinyoung whispers, still smiling as his lips brush against Jaebum’s. “Not even a little. But that’s okay, because I love you anyway.”

Jaebum kisses him properly at that, keeping Jinyoung’s back pressed against the couch as he brings a hand up to cup Jinyoung’s face. “I’ll take that as an apology, then,” Jaebum murmurs into the kiss. “And I love you too.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Jinyoung giggles softly. “Here I was thinking this was a one-sided relationship and Youngjae was the only one who wants me here.”

“Not a chance,” Jaebum breathes, kissing him again. “I’ll have you know that I plan on keeping you forever.” Jinyoung’s breath hitches as he gazes up at Jaebum, and Jaebum swears he can see stars in Jinyoung’s eyes.

“I’ll hold you to that, hyung. I’m never going to leave.” Jinyoung’s voice is full of emotion and Jaebum can’t stop himself from capturing his boyfriend’s lips with his own again.

Jaebum draws away after a few long moments, admiring the beautiful sight in front of him. “Do you promise, Jinyoungie? You promise you’ll never leave?” Jinyoung looks a little confused, but his face is determined as he nods anyway. He’s stunning, his cheeks flushed and his lips red and his eyes shining, and suddenly, Jaebum knows this is the right moment, knows he doesn’t want to spend another second waiting. “Marry me, Jinyoung.”

Jinyoung’s eyes widen, tears welling up in his eyes as he stares at Jaebum in surprise, but before he can say anything, there’s a tiny gasp. They both turn to find Youngjae holding the still-recording video camera that Jaebum had put down before, his eyes wide with amazement. “Appa, are you...marrying Umma now?”

Jaebum looks at his son for a moment, and then turns back to Jinyoung, who’s still trying to stop his tears from falling. Once again, Jaebum is flooded with affection and love for the beautiful man in front of him. “Well,” he starts with a lopsided smile, “only if he says yes.”

“You’re so _stupid_ , hyung,” Jinyoung sniffles, his tears finally spilling as he leans up to kiss Jaebum thoroughly. “ _Obviously_ I’ll marry you, even though you didn’t even ask properly or give an emotional speech or offer me a ring.”

“Why didn’t you give Umma the ring?” Youngjae demands. He looks at Jinyoung intently. “Appa showed it to me a long time ago and said one day he was gonna give it to you so you can stay with us forever. It’s so pretty, Umma. Just like you!”

Jinyoung crosses his arms upon hearing that and, through teary eyes, pouts at Jaebum, who pulls the box out of his pocket sheepishly. “Okay, we’ll try again.” He opens the box and offers it to Jinyoung. The ring, a slim gold band with tiny white diamonds embedded within it, sparkles in the light. “Park Jinyoung, Jinyoungie, you’re the best thing in both Youngjae’s and my life. It’s been almost two years since you walked into our lives and changed everything for us and I can’t imagine a future where you aren’t in it, without the two of us raising Youngjae together as a family. You make me so happy and you make Youngjae so happy and I love you so, so much and I want you with us forever. Will you marry me?”

“Of _course_ , Jaebum-hyung.” Jinyoung is fully crying now, but he beams at Jaebum as Jaebum slides the ring onto his finger. He pulls Jaebum in for yet another kiss before motioning for Youngjae to join them. Youngjae runs over ecstatically, and Jinyoung takes the camera from him so he can record Youngjae’s reaction. “How do you feel about this, Youngjae-yah?”

Youngjae breaks into a wide, dazzling smile. “I’m so happy because I love you and now you can _officially_ be my Umma and live with us forever!” Jinyoung’s responding smile could light up a town.

It isn’t the big, elaborate proposal Jaebum had always imagined for them. He’s always thought that Jinyoung deserves something special, something unforgettable, something perfect. But as he watches Youngjae cuddle into Jinyoung’s embrace, as he admires Jinyoung’s breathtakingly beautiful smile, as he pulls both of them into his arms and the camera captures every moment, Jaebum realizes that _this_ is special and unforgettable and for them, that’s enough: it’s perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I'm back! It turns out that I actually started this fic in April of last year, and I just finished it now. Yay me!! Anyway, I meant for this to be a nice, short and sweet 3k coffee shop au, and here we are 10 months later with a 12k monster instead.
> 
> Youngjae is 5 years old in this, so if his speech seems a little gramatically incorrect, that was intentional. Honestly, I'm not really sure how well 5-year-olds speak, so I hope it feels realistic. I put a lot of effort into finishing this, especially in the last few weeks, because I really wanted to upload something again. So I hope it turned out okay! And in the future, stay tuned for some EXO FICS - a super depressing exo-m fic and an au cowritten by me and my sister!
> 
> Speaking of my sister, many many thanks to her for being the real mvp and editing this!!!
> 
> Feedback and comments are always appreciated and welcome. Thank you all for reading! Enjoy! :)


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